DEAR MISS MANNERS: We’ve develop into mates with one other couple over the previous two years, and we ceaselessly invite them for dinner.
Recently, I’ve observed that the husband leaves the bathroom seat up after utilizing the toilet. Each my husband and I’ve a behavior of closing the lid earlier than flushing.
Is there a approach I can politely carry this up with our visitor?
My husband believes it might be impolite for me to say it and that I ought to do nothing.
If not a well mannered dialog, is it impolite to go away a bit of framed signal within the lavatory: “Please close lid before flushing”?
GENTLE READER: Are you certain that’s what you really need?
As a result of in case your visitor (or anybody, actually) closes the lid earlier than flushing — with no fast look behind to make it possible for all the pieces is … expunged — you may get an disagreeable shock while you return.
Miss Manners suggests that you just do your greatest to disregard your visitors’ lavatory habits and resist placing up that signal.
Folks have all kinds of personal behaviors, and neither you nor she actually wants to listen to about them (she thanks her mild readers prematurely for sparing her).
In case you completely can’t management your self, nevertheless, subsequent time it occurs, she’s going to allow you to show to your husband in entrance of the visitor and in a loud stage whisper, say, “I’m afraid the cat was drinking out of the toilet again. He always does that when the lid is left up.”
After all, your husband must consent to the ruse, and chances are you’ll want to obtain a cat.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’ve relationship with my neighbors throughout the road — we’re not mates, however we’ve got a pleasant, pleasant method with one another.
Often they ask me to carry their mail into the home when they’re gone for longer durations of time — and right here comes the dilemma.
As a “thank you,” they all the time give us a bottle of wine. The bottles haven’t any sleeves or another figuring out marks on them.
We don’t drink wine. By no means has anybody seen us drink it, as a result of we don’t! But, I’ve a cupboard stuffed with unmarked bottles that I don’t know what to do with.
After years of receiving bottle after bottle, I don’t know the way I may let my neighbors know that we actually don’t need them.
I can’t even regift them to another person, as a result of they haven’t any sleeves on them. What can I do?
GENTLE READER: Unmarked bottles of wine, like unmarked white vans, are to not be trusted.
Miss Manners suggests you proceed to simply accept them graciously after which discreetly pour the contents down the drain — and be sure to get rid of the empty bottles within the subsequent city over.
While you’re discarding issues, nevertheless, please cast off your outrage over mere acquaintances not realizing the particulars of your consuming habits. It makes your case ever so barely much less sympathetic.
Your neighbors have been making an attempt to please you, though they failed. That they don’t examine your consuming habits from afar is an effective factor.
Please ship your inquiries to Miss Manners at her web site, www.missmanners.com; to her electronic mail, [email protected]; or by means of postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas Metropolis, MO 64106.
